Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CIGARETTE OR TOBACCO PACKAGE WITH RE-USABLE AROMA
RELEASANT FOR MULTIPLE PACKAGE OPENINGS
SCOPE OF THE INVENTION
A re-usable aroma releasant is provided on a package of cigarettes or a
tobacco package such as pouch package or fine cut tobacco container. The aroma
releasant is activated to release aroma every time the package is opened. The aroma
releasant may be in the form of a reservoir where the flavour or aroma is released
every time the reservoir is activated. This may be achieved by unsealing and
10 resealing the reservoir every time the package is opened and closed. This system
provides the user with a pleasant aroma associated with the use of tobacco and the
flavour of cigarette smoking. The aroma releasant is activated by the mechanicalmovement of opening the package to release the desired aroma. Conversely, when
the package is closed such mechanical movement is translated into de-activating the
15 aroma releasant. This provides for a re-usable aroma releasant where every time the
customer opens the package fresh aroma is released. The life of the aroma releasant
is designed to suit the product life cycle of the package. The aroma may be released
by an aromatic substance cont:~ining the essence of tobacco, coffee, menthol, orother pleasant aroma associated with the smoking of tobacco.
20 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various flavourants have been incorporated in tobaccos, loose tobacco,
cigarette tobacco and the like. Sometimes customers incorporate flavourants in the
tobacco to m~int~in a desired freshness and aroma. Menthol has been incorporatedin tobacco to provide a menthol feel when inh~ling cigarette smoke. A smoker
25 would understandably prefer to be reminded of the freshness of the cigarettes not
only when the package is opened, but each time after the package is opened. Thiscan be achieved to some extent when the cigarettes of a package are smoked
reasonably quickly. There is not sufficient time for the cigarettes to dry out so that
each time the package is opened the aroma of fresh cigarettes is released. It would
30 be beneficial, however, to provide a release of aroma not only when the cigarette
packages or tobacco packages are first opened but as well each subsequent multiple
occurrence of such opening.
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U.S. Patent 4,717,017 describes a means for releasing an aromatic substance
on opening of the package but this is a one time use. The flavourant or aromaticsubstance is contained in a receptacle which is ruptured when the cigarette package
is opened. Such rupturing of the receptacle releases the flavourant and hence,
5 provides the customer with an aromatic smell when the package is first opened.Such rupturing of the receptacle prevents its re-use and as well can release
flavourant into the tobacco which can affect the smokers' desired taste and flavour
of the tobacco when smoked.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, a re-usable aroma releasant is provided on
a cigarette package or other form of tobacco package which releases a pleasing
aroma each time the package is opened. Correspondingly, when the package is
closed the aroma releasant is deactivated.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the aroma releasant is
provided on a cigarette or tobacco package such that mechanical movement of the
package to the opened position opens the aroma releasant by removing a cover from
an aromatic strip. Such opening releases the aroma to be smelled by the customer.
Correspondingly, upon closing of the package, the mechanical movement is
translated by an appropriate means to reseal the aroma releasant to block further
release of aroma.
IN THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings wherein
Figures la and lb are perspective views of a laube cigarette box with a hinged lid
on which an aroma strip is provided.
Figures 2a and 2b are perspective views of a hinged lid cigarette box with an
aroma strip.
Figures 3a and 3b are perspective views of a shell and slide cigarette package
with aroma strip.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a laube box in the open position.
Figures 5a and 5b are perspective views of the laube box of Figure 4 in
which foil sealed cigarettes are placed and on which an aroma strip is provided.
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Figures 6a and 6b are perspective views of a laube box sealed with an aroma
strip.
Figures 7a and 7b are perspective views of a fine cut tobacco container
having an aroma strip as part of the lid seal.
Figures 8a and 8b are perspective views of a fine cut tobacco container
having an aroma strip as part of the lid seal.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of an open fine cut tobacco container where an
aroma strip is part of the foil seal for the container tub.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a tobacco pouch in the closed position.
Figures 11 and 12 are perspective views of tobacco pouches in the open
positions having various placements of aroma strips.
Figures 13a and 13b are sections through a shell and slide cigarette package
showing automatic activation and deactivation of an aroma strip.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The aroma releasant of this invention is provided on the cigarette package,
fine cut tobacco container or tobacco pouch such that in order to achieve access to
the cigarettes or tobacco, the aroma releasant must be activated either before or
during the opening process. The aroma releasant, when activated, releases a
pleasant aroma or flavour so that the customer experiences a very pleasant smell20 sensation which is designed to enhance the smoking experience each time the
package container or pouch is opened. The aroma releasant refers to any type of
device which has the capability of being activated several times associated with each
opening of the cigarette or tobacco package to release on those several occasions
approximately the same intensity of aroma or flavour. The aroma releasant must be
25 capable of con~ining a variety of different aromas such as the essence of aromatic
tobaccos, rich tobaccos, coffee, menthol, chocolate and the like.
The aroma releasant may comprise an absorbent in which the flavourant or
source of aroma is stored and is released only when the cover to the absorbent is
opened. The absorbent acts as a reservoir to retain the flavourant where the
30 absorbent releases the volatiles of the flavourant each time it is exposed upon
cigarette or tobacco package opening. The aroma releasant may be the
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commercially popular form of aroma strip which is covered with resealable film, for
each time the film is pulled back from the strip, the strip releases the aroma of the
volatile flavourant and the releasant is deactivated by applying the film onto the
strip. Preferably the film has a resealable, pressure sensitive adhesive to ensure that
5 the strip is resealed upon each package closure. The aroma releasant is capable of
being deactivated in one form or another to ensure that the released aroma, during
cigarette package opening, is not released during package closure to ensure that the
aroma does not pervade the cigarette or tobacco and affect its smoking taste andflavour.
With reference to the drawings various embodiments for the aroma releasant
are shown in conjunction with various types of packages for cigarettes, fine cuttobacco and pipe tobacco. In Figures la and lb a standard laube cigarette package
10 is shown. The laube package 10 has a hard sided box base 12 and hinged lid 14.
The box has a cavity 16 in which foil sealed cigarettes are placed. The hinged
portion 18 may be a connective paper between the lid 14 and the box base 12. On
the end 20 of the box opposite the hinge 18 an aroma releasant may be provided in
the form of an aroma strip which has pressure sensitive adhesive and which must be
peeled back before the box can be opened to the position shown in Figure lb. Thearoma strip 22 has a film seal or tear seal 24 which seals an aroma reservoir 26.
20 Every time the package 10 is opened, the film 24 is peeled back to expose thereservoir 26 and allow the volatile flavourant in the form of an aroma to rise from
the package. After the cigarette is withdrawn from the package, the package is
closed and the strip 24 with the pressure sensitive adhesive on its back surface 28 is
applied over the flavourant reservoir 26 to reseal it and thereby deactivate the aroma
25 release until the next opportunity when the package is reopened.
Similar aroma strips are provided on other package systems of Figures 2 and
3. In Figure 2 a hinged lid cigarette box 30 has a cigarette container 32 and a
hinged lid 34. The aroma strip 36 has the removable seal 38 covering the flavourant
reservoir 40. The strip 38 has on its back face 42 a pressure sensitive adhesive.
30 The strip 38 is peeled back to permit opening of the lid 34 thereby exposing the
reservoir 40 of flavourant to release aroma when the package is opened. When the
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package is closed the sealing film 38 is pressed against the reservoir 40 to reseal it
and prevent release of aroma until the next time the package is opened. With thearoma strip 44 of Figure 3a the shell and slide package 46 is opened by peeling back
the seal strip 48 to expose the flavourant reservoir S0. This allows one to then open
the package 46 by moving the slide 52 out of the shell 54. During the process a
pleasing aroma is emitted from the reservoir S0. When the package is closed the
strip 48 with pressure sensitive adhesive 56 on its back face is reapplied to the
reservoir 50 to seal it off.
An alternative arrangement for the aroma strip is shown in Figures 4 and 5.
10 The empty laube package 10 has a cavity 16 for receiving a foil sealed bundle of
cigarettes 58. The foil sealed bundle 58 may be kept closed by the aroma strip 60
which as shown in Figure Sb is the usual tear seal 62 with pressure sensitive
adhesive on its back face 64. The seal 62 covers the aroma reservoir 66. When the
lid 14 is moved to the open position, one simply grasps the seal 62 and peels it back
15 to expose the reservoir 66 and thereby release a pleasing aroma as the foil portion
68 is also moved back to expose and allow access to one or more of the cigarettes
70. When the package is reclosed the seal 62 with the pressure sensitive adhesive is
pressed onto the reservoir 66 to seal off the reservoir. The package is then closed
by positioning the lid 14 on the box base 12. The seal 62 overlays the reservoir 66
20 such that when the foil flap 68 is pulled back to the overlying position the reservoir
66 is sealed off by the pressure sensitive adhesive seal. This ensures that the
flavourant in the reservoir 66 does not travel or migrate into the cigarette 70 so that
the smoker realizes the usual expected flavourant taste when smoking the cigarette
70.
An alternative arrangement for the aroma strip is shown in Figure 6. The
laube package 10 with its parting line 72 which defines the separation between the
lid 14 and the base 12 may rely on the aroma strip 74 to act as the closure seal for
the package. The base 12 may include an aroma reservoir 76 which is covered by
the peelable strip 78 having pressure sensitive adhesive on its back face 80. With
30 the laube box 10 in its closed position, the strip covers the reservoir 76. In order to
open the box 10 the strip 78 is peeled back to expose the flavour reservoir 76 and
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thereby release the volatile aroma of desired flavour. Again, when the package is
closed, the strip 78 is applied over the reservoir to seal it off until the next time the
package is opened.
In Figures 7,8 and 9 various aroma strips are shown for fine cut tobacco
5 contained in tobacco canisters. In Figures 7a and 7b the tobacco canister 82 has a
lid 84 and tub 86. The lid separates from the tub at parting line 88. The aroma
strip 90 is positioned over the parting line 88 in order to remove lid 84 from the tub
86 the film seal 92 is pulled back to expose the aroma reservoir 94. The volatile
aroma is released from the flavourant in the reservoir 94 so that when the canister is
10 open the customer realizes the desired smell. When the canister is closed thereservoir 94 is resealed by lightly applying the strip 92 to the reservoir wherepressure sensitive adhesive holds the seal in place. Alternatively, with the canister
82 of Figure 8, the aroma strip 96 may extend transversely of the parting line 88,
rather than longitudinally therewith. As with Figure 7, the aroma strip 96 has a seal
98 which may be pulled back to expose the aroma reservoir 100. One may then
open the container with the desired aroma released. When the lid is reapplied to the
tub 86, the strip 98 with pressure sensitive adhesive is applied back over the aroma
reservoir 100 to stop escape of the volatile aroma. It is appreciated that the lid 84 is
threaded onto the tub 86 in a manner such that the aroma reservoir 100 is always in
register with the strip 98 when the lid is rotated to the closed position. The canister
82 of Figure 9 may have on the tub 86 an aroma reservoir 102 about the rim portion
104. The reservoir 102 is covered by re-usable seal 106. As with the package 105,
the seal 106 closes off the reservoir 102 when the canister is closed to ensure that
none of the aroma permeates the tobacco and affects its flavour and taste when
smoked.
Two alternatives for fine cut tobacco pouch or pipe tobacco pouch are shown
in Figures 10, 11 and 12. The pouch 108 has the overlapped pouch closure 110.
The closure is held in place by an aroma strip 112. The strip 112 is opened by
peeling back the film seal 114 which has pressure sensitive adhesive on its underside
116. The seal 114 overlays the aroma reservoir 118. When the pouch 108 is
opened by pulling back the flap 110 a pleasing aroma is released from the reservoir
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118. When the pouch is reclosed and the seal strip 114 applied over the reservoir
118, the release of aroma is deactivated until the next opening. Similarly with the
pouch 108 of Figure 12, when the flap 110 is pulled to the open position access to
within the cavity 120 is permitted when the seal 122 is pulled away from the
flavourant reservoir 124. This allows access to the tobacco within the cavity 120.
After the desired amount of tobacco is removed, the seal 122 is reapplied to thereservoir 124 to seal it off and the flap 110 closed. The reservoir 124 is positioned
so that the seal with the pressure sensitive adhesive completely seals the reservoir to
preclude aroma permeating tobacco within the pouch 108.
It is of course appreciated that it is not absolutely essential that the reservoir
be completely sealed off if the flavourant in the reservoir is complimentary to or the
same as the desired aroma in the tobacco. For example, with menthol flavoured
tobaccos or aromatic tobaccos, if the flavourant is the same then some leakage from
the reservoir into the tobacco is considered to be complimentary to the tobacco
15 flavour. However, if for example, the flavourant were chocolate then it would be
desirable to seal off the reservoir to prevent the chocolate flavour permeating the
tobacco and thereby affecting its taste when smoked.
It may be desirable to automate the activation and deactivation of the aroma
strip. An exemplary embodiment of this automation is shown in Figures 13a and
20 13b in respect of a standard shell and slide package 46 of Figure 3 only modified in
the manner shown. The slide 52 is contained within the shell 54. A bundle of
cigarettes 126 is contained in the usual foil seal 128. The aroma strip 130 secures
the foil closed. The seal 132 covers the flavour reservoir 134. The strip 132 isconnected to the interior 136 of the shell 54 by a flexible link 138 which in turn is
25 fastened to the seal 132 at 140. When the package 46 is opened by moving the slide
in direction of arrow 142, the flexible link 138 pulls the seal 132 away from the
reservoir 134 to expose the cigarettes 126. As this happens, the aroma is released
from the reservoir 134 where the slide flap 144 is in the open position as hinged
about line 146. After withdrawal of a cigarette from the bundle, the slide is pushed
30 back down into the shell 54 where the seal 132 tracks upwardly over the cigarette
bundle and as the lid 144 is brought down onto the seal 132, it is compressed
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against the reservoir 134 to reseal the reservoir and prevent release of flavourant
until the package is reopened.
It is apparent from the detailed description of the various embodiments of
this invention that a re-usable aroma releasant functions very well in combination
S with various cigarette and tobacco containers and packages to provide on a
repetitive, consistent basis, an aroma release which provides the customer with the
desired fresh or pleasing scent each time the package is opened. The aroma
reservoir is designed to produce sufficient volatiles to match the product life cycle
which may be 1 to 2 days for a package of cigarettes, 3 to 4 days for a pouch of10 tobacco, and 7 to 8 days for fine cut tobacco containers.
Although various plerell~d embodiments of the invention have been
described here in detail it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other
alternatives of the invention are contemplated without parting from the spirit of the
invention.
